Beauty sleep

Getting enough of that all-important beauty sleep is one of the best things you can do for your skin, giving it time to rest and recover for a new day. But when you’re pregnant, a good night’s rest can be annoyingly elusive. Whether it’s heartburn, constant trips to the loo, baby on the move, or just your bump getting in the way, there are a whole host of niggles that keep mums-to-be awake at night. Here are a few ways to help you get some much-needed shut eye:

• Exercise can help you sleep better, but if you do too much just before bed you might feel more ready to get up and go than relax for the night. Keep your workouts for late afternoon or at least four hours before you go to bed.
• Bump taken over the bed? Try putting pillows between your legs and under your bump, or using a specially designed pregnancy pillow to support your tummy.
• Try keeping your fluid intake to the daytime, to avoid those endless toilet breaks. And avoid caffeine in the evenings.
• If you really can’t sleep at night, take a nap during the day. Forty winks might mean you go to bed later, but at least you’ll be getting the rest you need.
• Avoid large meals before bedtime, you’ll find it hard to settle with your digestive system in full swing.
• Don’t read or watch television in bed – keep the bedroom for sleeping in.
• If lying there fretting is making things worse, get up and do something! You’re better off active, so read a book or have a bath and tackle your restlessness head on.

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